The brothers behind Valentian Vermouth have launched £100,000 'Put Your Money Where Vermouth Is' crowdfunding campaign.
David and Dominic Tait, who founded Tait Bros. in 2019, are calling for investors to help raise the money to build a ‘centre for vermouth excellence’ and sales operation in the Scottish Borders.
The Crowdcube campaign, which launched privately last week and to the public on 1 June, has already raised more than £80,000.
The fully-licensed facility, which will include an ‘experimentation studio’, bar and tasting room, will also serve as a brand home for Valentian Vermouth.
Tait Bros. plans significant expansion following completion of the crowdfunding campaign, with investment in a sales team and up to eight new employees to help run the centre for excellence.
The launch of the crowdfunding campaign arrives at an exciting time for Valentian Vermouth, which this year added Montpeliers and Indigo Yard in Edinburgh, and Glasgow’s Bar Vini and Eusebi’s to its list of stockists.
New products are also in the pipeline, including Valentian Vermouth Bianco and Valentian Vermouth Secco.
The firm is working with partners including South of Scotland Enterprise on the centre for excellence and tasting room project.
The crowdfunding campaign – through Crowdcube – enables investors to own part of the award-winning Scottish Borders-based Tait Bros., makers of Valentian Vermouth Rosso, a premium vermouth marrying Scottish new make malt spirit, Italian white wine and botanicals cultivated in both countries.
The team at Tait Bros.' say that the Valentian Vermouth Rosso drink is "a sweet red expression, full bodied and fruity but with elements of citrus and herbs."
Botanicals used in this include: rhubarb, bergamot, liquorice root, gentian root, ginger, three varieties of wormwood, sweet and bitter orange, laurel, sage and cinnamon.
Investors receive equity in the burgeoning firm, alongside a series of exclusive rewards dependent on how much they invest.
Rewards range from discounts and Valentian Vermouth branded items for entry level investment, rising to dinner and an afternoon with founders David and Dominic Tait at the completed tasting room for those willing to invest £10,000.
Tait Bros. founders David and Dominic, who are originally from Glasgow, chose to launch the crowdfunder after studying the success of other notable Scottish food and drinks campaigns, such as Innis & Gunn’s £3m ‘Beer Money’ campaign in 2019.
However, the main aim remains to gather shareholders and supporters who will spread the Valentian Vermouth message.
Dominic, 33, who manages Tait Bros. operations, said: “This is a massively exciting development for Valentian Vermouth and undoubtedly the biggest step on our journey so far.
"We want people to join our family business and come with us for the ride.
“We’ve enjoyed a fantastic start to 2021, despite everything the pandemic has thrown at us, securing new business and partnerships with some of the best-known bars and restaurants in Scottish hospitality.
“Through the campaign we hope to gain not only shareholders but friends and enthusiastic supporters who are going to join us on this journey to put Scotland on the vermouth map.
“Investors will gain exclusive rewards and experiences to get to know us and the world of Valentian Vermouth better.
"The unique blend of ingredients in Valentian Vermouth creates an amazing aromatic nose from the moment the bottle opens, paving the way to a rich depth of flavour.
"We know from the response of bartenders and consumers across the country that people absolutely love it.
“Scotland has been leading the way in malt whisky, premium gin and craft beers for years and we know vermouth can have the same impact – it is the next big thing in drinks.”
Co-founder David, 35, added: “Valentian Vermouth brings two amazing cultures together – Scottish craft distilling and Italian viticulture.
“We have already laid claim to some really important real estate in bars across the country, and this investment will help us take that and the brand to the next level.
“The vermouth and aperitif market in the UK has grown by 12 per cent per annum, so we know this is the perfect time to expand the business.
“We’ve enjoyed our success through strong wholesale backing, with three regional wholesalers and one national UK wholesaler, and have developed an online platform which enables us to sell direct to consumers.
“Our longer-term aim is to create a production facility in the Scottish Borders, and we are confident and excited in equal measure about this next stage in the route towards it.
"Through this crowdfunder we are asking people to join a family business with high growth potential on what promises to be a very exciting journey.”
Tait Bros. is currently based in St Boswells in the Scottish Borders, an area once known as Valentia, the most northerly part of the Roman empire, which was the inspiration for the brand’s name.
For more information on the Valentian Vermouth crowdfunding campaign, or to register your interest in investing, visit the Valentian Vermouth page at Crowdcube or the Valentian Vermouth website.
